


Mahou Bouken

by Midori_Hime



Category: Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adventure, Cross Over, Fantasy, Humor, Spoilers, Supernatural - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-27
Updated: 2012-12-27
Packaged: 2017-11-22 15:28:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/611331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midori_Hime/pseuds/Midori_Hime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After being contacted by Headmistress McGonagall, the Chosen are accepted into Hogwarts. Why so late though? Does this have anything to do with Yamato being missing? And isn't singing 'something wicked this way comes' asking for it?<br/>Sequel to "Sorted'. "Mahou Bouken" - "Magical Adventure"<br/>Spoilers for those who aren't on Pottermore</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome To Diagon Alley!

"You realise that this makes no sense whatsoever, right?"  
"Because us being sucked into a giant wall of water when we entered the Digital World for the first time and our adventures there in general make so much more sense?" Koushiro countered and gave Tai an exasperated look when the brunette stuck out his tongue in response. Sighing, the genius raised an eyebrow in return which Taichi mimiced.  
Hikari came to the rescue. "He has a point. Doesn't the letter say that students are accepted into Hogwarts at the age of eleven? Most of us younger ones were in the Digital World when we were eleven, but that doesn't explain the rest of you."

Ignoring Tai's explanation that they were just too awesome, Sora spoke over the top of him and reminded them that the stern looking self proclaimed witch, Headmistress McGonagall had said something about not interfering with 'what was meant to be'. Turns out she was just as cryptic and annoying as Gennai, but considering she turned a wool rug into a sheep before their eyes as proof of her powers, they weren't too eager to cross her anytime soon.

But let's take a step back, shall we? Currently, the majority of the Chosen Children were sitting in Mimi's room (because it was the only one big enough to fit them all). It was still cramped due to being stuffed with boxes from when she'd moved back from America (no one really bothered trying to remember how often she flitted between countries anymore) but it was still a comfortable fit. Miyako was working at her parent's convenience store and Yamato had been missing for months, but otherwise all the group was pondering why it was just now that they had been informed that they were magical.

Apparently they had always been magical (that word was still fresh and odd in their heads, so the Chosen teens often said 'gifted' or 'special' instead, especially in public - having their Digimon had caused enough trouble, why ask for more?) and their parents had been informed years prior to their eleventh birthdays that they would be getting into Hogwarts later than expected. Talk about late alright! Jyou was the eldest at sixteen, so he'll be going into his sixth and second last year straight away. Taichi, Mimi and Sora (and Yamato, if he had been present) are fifth years and Koushiro is fourteen. Miyako is the only third year while Hikari, Takeru, Daisuke and Ken are all second years. Iori was the only one who received his letter at the right age of eleven.

Miyako's siblings had all gone to boarding school - that's what she had been told and it was true, to an extent. In reality, her siblings as well as Jyou's had attended Mahoutakara, the only magical school in Japan. Jun had attended the school as well (apparently she had been practicising magic for years - nobody was surprised that Daisuke had been oblivious to it all). Naturally, this led to another (unanswered) question. If Mahoutakara was the only magical school in Japan, why weren't they going there? And where the hell was Hogwarts if it wasn't in Japan?

But regardless of the hows and whys (for now at least), the Chosen were not only Digitally Chosen, but Magically Chosen too, apparently, and that opened another new world and new adventures. However, it all wasn't fun and games. Jun had sort of ruined the lecture they had been given by the Headmistress when she told them about cool magical stuff - lollies like Fizzing Whizzbees and Chocolate Frogs as well as magical pranks and books on curses and books that bit back and a super amazing sounded thing called the Tri-Wizard Tournament (Dragons for the boys, puzzles for the geniuses and a ball for the ladies - how could it not be enjoyed?). A week after that, their parents gave them a session detailing expectations and behaviours of the magical world, and soon after, the group was told they were to go to London and meet their guide there. The teens had laughed because none of their parents (except the Tachikawa's) had the money to send their kids to London to shop for school things, bring them back and then send them off again for school.

"You guys realise we can use magic now, right?" Usually ditzy Mrs Yagami was giving the young group an incredulous look. Iori asked about magic carpets, but Takeru's mother said that there was too big of a risk being seen and would take too long. After making sure they were quiet (Miyako was loudly wondering if that dusty old carpet in the spare room could fly), Mrs Yagami pulled out a small velvet purple bag from her pocket. She waited for all of the Chosen Children's attention to be on her before she spoke.

"This is what we call Floo Powder. You only need a little. Pinch a bit, chuck it in the fire, shout where you want to go -and be _incredibly_ _clear_  about your destination or you  _will_ regret it-, jump in and poof! You'll arrive at the matching fireplace! Questions?"  
Daisuke put his hand up timidly, with a look that clearly said 'I  _know_  this a stupid question, buuuuuuut...'. "Um, how do we not _burn_?"  
Mrs Yagami simply shrugged. "Magic of some sort. I guess it's something in the powder, but I don't really know. It's totally safe though!" Ignoring the fact that her explanation didn't really instill confidence in the teens, she started to move them closer and put them in a line.

"Now remember, be polite to your guide. After all, he's missing work to help you shop and understand magic. Don't forget to behave yourselves either." Koushiro's adopted father was kind yet stern as he wrapped his arm around his wife and made sure the kids knew he wasn't kidding. When met with nodding, he smiled and nodded back. Ken's father told them to buy what they needed first. They could sightsee and explore in Hogsmeade (whatever that was) and waste their money later, but today was first and foremost for school supplies.

"Don't worry about that now, you need to get going before you're late!" Mrs Tachikawa started ushering them toward the fire that had been conjured in the middle of the Tachikawa's spacious living room earlier. "We'll meet you at noon in front of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Palour! You won't be able to miss it!"  
With that, Takeru grabbed some Floo Powder and, as he grabbed Hikari's hand (breaking rank to be with his best friend), threw it into the flames and yelled "Diagon Alley!" before promptly disappearing. He was followed shortly by an irate Daisuke, Ken and the rest of the Chosen.

:.:

They were spat out in some dirty looking pub. Mimi had wrinkled her nose and Jyou was stumbling an apology to the person he had fallen on - the person seemed gruff and they would later learn that it was an actual hag. The bar keeper kept an eye on them as he spoke to a man of abnormally large size. The Chosen had been introduced to the existence of dragons from Jun's story of the Tri-wizard Tournament, but this was the first time they had ever heard anyone talk so casually about them.

Five minutes later, at exactly nine o'clock, a young man came through the back entrance of the pub. A quick scan of the room later and he had zoomed in on them. He walked over quickly, stuck out a hand and introduced himself cheerily. He was their guide for the day - for shopping and to give them a quick information session on the etiquette of the magical world. Dale worked at the Daily Prophet, what was apparently a highly accurate newspaper, and seemed nice enough. A young man of sandy brown hair, a spotty complexion and an age of twenty, he seemed pretty average for a wizard (though the group had been expecting more shows of power like McGonagall had shown) but he was muggle-born himself, so he knew the shock of being thrown into a strange new world.

Guiding them to the back of the small pub (which was called 'The Leaky Cauldron'), Dale led them through the back door and into a small courtyard. "Now pay attention, when you get a wand, this is the way you'll have to enter Diagon Alley. Well, until you can Apparate at any rate. Ha! See what I did there?" Ignoring their blank faces, Dale muttered something under his breath and whacked the brick wall in front of him a couple of times.

For a moment, nothing happened and the strange looking group stood there, staring at a brick wall in the courtyard of a mangy pub. But then, a brick wriggled. Taichi had to blink and make sure he wasn't seeing things, but when Hikari pointed and yelled, he knew he wasn't dreaming. It kept wriggling until it moved. Then the next moved. And the next and the next and the next. The red bricks kept turning and twisting and moving, forming a doorway, leading to the most amazing looking street.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley!" They couldn't say much for Dale's humour or dress sense or anything else, but that one simple line was almost like their ticket into a completely new world. By the end of the day, even though they all agreed the young man was a bit of a dork, they had gained respect for him and appreciated him showing them Diagon Alley.

It was  _huge_. There were stores devoted to cauldrons, robes, numerous book stores, a funny place that was surrounded by people that seemed to only sell brooms ("Why not just go to a  _hyaku_ _en_  shop or a department store? Are these designer brooms or something?" Dale had tsked at Sora's question and explained them as a function of transport and said they could be used in sport, though didn't elaborate on that), and also contained many other funnily shaped and old looking buildings. The Alley was bustling with people in Wizard's robes, and those dressed as 'muggles' favoured the colours of green and purple in often bizarre combinations (Professor McGonagall had given them a brief lesson in basic magical terms and the dos and don'ts of magical etiquette but seeing it for real put it into a different perspective and they found themselves struggling to remember everything she had told them).

"Alright, so what do you need? It's been a while since I was at school!" Despite their different year levels, some of the things they needed were the same. Three black work robes and a pointed black hat ("How cliche!" Mimi had tried to get pink, but Dale had said no immediately) as well as protective gloves and a plain cloak for their uniforms (Mimi had cheered up when Dale had said their House Crests would brighten their robes and colourful scarves would be given to them). Of course, they all needed a wand and could have a pet. A standard size 2 pewter Cauldron would also be needed and a set of phials (Sora had wanted to splurge on crystal rather than glass but their guide had said a lot of students ended up breaking them, so there wasn't any point) and a telescope was needed for those who did astronomy. Each grade had a different copy of  _The_ _Standard_ _Book_ _of_ _Spells_  and books which would relate to their individual subjects.

Due to being so entranced by the simplest of things and the crowds of people in Gringotts, by the time lunch rolled around, Dale left them at Florean's with very little in the way of shopping. They had been hoping to buy more than just their cauldrons and robes (the girls had been scolded for taking too long looking at dress robes instead of behaving and being measured for their plain black school ones) but they still had the rest of the day and could order by owl post ("How on earth is an owl supposed to carry a cauldron?") if truly necessary. Waving as their guide left to go back to work (he'd wasted time by pointing out his work and blabbing about his boring job), the group helped themselves to icecream. Miyako chose a flavour that floated while Daisuke's made him roar like a lion and Hikari's amused everyone by constantly changing colour. Everyone else's looked like normal icecream except for the flavours: Apple Pie was the most normal, but Takeru had been outrageous and chose a funny green looking one that he swore was brussle sprouts. It was while waiting for their parents that they were happily interrupted.

"What a surprise seeing you lot here!" Turning, they were shocked to see none other than Ishida Yamato striding towards them, sans father. After a year and a half of absolutely no contact, it was good to see the blonde safe and looking just the same as ever. Takeru launched himself at the older blonde, crying, yelling and hugging all at once. A small, sad smile and a ruffle of blonde hair so similar to his own was the only response to the accusations thrown at him. "I can't say anything just yet, Teeks. I'm sorry, but it'll make sense soon, I promise."

Tai was getting riled up and was about to tell his best friend what was on his mind, with a loud  _crack!_  their parents appeared out of nowhere. Startled, Tai fell over and stared at his parents - they definitely weren't there a second ago! Despite Koushiro's questions, he was ignored in favour of Yamato's sudden appearance. Naturally, Ms Takaishi made a fuss and fretted over Yamato, though he had the decency to look guiltier and apologise more. Settling down, the worried mother eventually gave up on trying to coax information out of her estranged son and asked him to tell her what he could instead. Nobody was expecting it to be much, but the blonde was surprisingly talkative (maybe it was the fact he knew his head was going to be served on a platter if he upset anyone any further, but hey).

"I was in France for a little bit. Grandmama taught me a bit of magic and raised me to Hogwarts standards. I studied there for the second half of their school year." He spoke of the strict elderly witches' methods and how he would play Quidditch in her orchards with some of the local magical kids. Pushing her glasses up her nose (Miyako's mother had steadfastly refused to let her magically alter her eyesight and had expressly forbidden her from buying any eye-enhancing potions or anything relating to her eyes at all), the purple haired girl enquired as to how Quidditch was played. Unlike most sports (and most definitely soccer), Yamato was obviously a Quidditch fanatic and was going into great depths about the game. He had started explaining about his opinion on the most successful Japanese team, the  _Toyohashi_ _Tengu_ , winning the Quidditch World Cup this year when he was interrupted by a laugh.

"Take a breath, kid!" Behind him stood none other than Ishida Hiroaki, who was also just as tight lipped as his son. However, after a very viscious but quietly spoken scolding from his ex-wife, the man became shifty and with a little more snapping from Natsuko, the man seemed ready to spill his secrets. However, Hiroaki remembered the packaged he had clutched behind his back and so he presented Yamato with the gift. Turning to the rest of the group, Hiroaki proudly explained that not only had Yamato been made a prefect, he had also been made captain of his House's Quidditch team. The new Phoenix Flame broom that had been unwrapped so quickly yet delicately was Yamato's reward for his efforts. Congratulations were therefore in order and given to the beaming blonde and Tai demanded Yamato let him try his broom. Of course, the blonde had refused and the friends had started a friendly banter. Tai had demanded a broom too, despite Yamato's claims that he would be a lame flier.

The Ishida family joined them after lunch, helping with their shopping by finding bargains and helping locate things faster. Yamato explained various little bits and pieces about Hogwarts to the rest of the Chosen ("If you need to know anything else, you can always just read  _Hogwarts:_ _A_ _History_ , it's really quite informative."). Natsuki still tried to glean information from the two, and while Hiroaki often almost caved, Yamato managed to keep their secret safe every time.

Thankfully they could stuff most of their items into their cauldrons so they didn't have too many bags. They had gazed at Eeylop's Owl Emporium before continuing onto the apothecary for potions ingredients. The smell hadn't been too charming and the things they brought less so. That had been the store they had gotten in and out of the fastest. Yamato had wanted to go into Quality Quidditch Supplies next, but Hiroaki told him to order by owl post as they didn't have the time. At the stationary store next door, they brought inks in various, sometimes changing colours, normal quills and those which checked spelling and some which were just insulting and rolls and rolls of parchment. (Nobody was very pleased when they found out they had to hand write everything and Yamato had complained that his hand was still sore from his exams). Flourish & Blotts was next, and that was where they picked up all their textbooks. Yamato dragged Taichi to where the Quidditch books were and the brunette was shocked to see the pictures actually  _moved_! After 'ohhing' and gasping at this, they managed to leave the store with books that bit and some that needed you to answer riddles before you could open it. They'd already been to Madam Malkin's and exchanged yen for galleons, sickles and knuts at Gringotts so the children decided to move on to Gambol  & Japes joke shop. Once the parents realised half the children were missing, they dragged them back into the Alley before going next door for one of their final stops.

For such a large group, they managed to get in and out of the small shops quite fast so it was barely three o'clock by the time the group made it to the Magical Menagerie. It was at the end of the Alley which was horrid for the parents as there was more for their children to be distracted by. However, they had been able to make quite clear that Knockturn Alley was to be stayed well away from, and any child who disobeyed would find themselves with radishes for ears. Squishing into the tiny store with all of their belongings, the noise made by the various creatures was almost so incredibly that they couldn't hear Mrs Motomiya explain things.

"You're allowed an owl, a cat or a toad. You can only have one and  _-Put_ _that_ _down_ _now!-_ be careful what you choose. It's the same as having any other pet - if it goes missing, it's gone, and you need to pay for it if it gets sick or anything. Also, I suggest an owl, since you can use them for posting and all." Daisuke's mother explained the basic rules of pets while Jun and Daisuke put down the fluffy pink creature they had been annoying.

Taichi took responsibility and asked for a large brown barn owl while Hikari found a almost purple coloured cat. Yamato tsked at Jyou when he saw the older boy look at toads and explained they'd been out of fashion for years. The blonde then told a story about a boy called Lee Jordan who had brought a tarantula once, but pondered that he thought the animal had been sent home and Lee had been given strict detention. Mimi and Jyou both ended up with cats (a black boy and his white sister respectively) and Iori took a smaller owl with a severe bite. Ken decided on a tabby cat while Miyako and Sora both ended up with pretty and graceful owls named Shuri and Tori respectively. Daisuke choose an owl and Takeru was bullied by Yamato to follow suit as the elder blonde only had a lazy cat. Koushiro was the only one who opted against a pet.

The group had suddenly become a lot louder (and when the girls all decided they wanted Pygmy Puffs too, the cooing at the humming of the cute creatures among the hissing and aggravated hoots became almost unbearable), they shuffled towards their last stop. Piled with books and robes and potions ingredients, some held brooms and parents held the 'boring stuff' while the Chosen cradled their new found pets, jokes from  _Weasley_ _Wizards_ _Wheezes_ , various foods and miscellaneous 'fun stuff', the large and strange looking group entered the old, quiet and antique looking shop that belonged to none other than Mr Ollivander, master wand maker.


	2. Meeting Mr Garrick Ollivander

The store was dusty and quiet when they entered. There seemed to be an unspoken agreement that this store was much different from the others and was in need of respect. The ancient feel to the shop was replicated by its appearance and even the air seemed old. In all of the other stores the Chosen had entered, shop keepers had appeared almost instantly at their elbows, selling the wares loud and clear, but that wasn't the case here.

Due to the lack of space among the haphazardly stacked boxes, the parents signaled they would wait outside with all their children's new school things. Yamato and Jun stayed inside, looking quite at home in the strange place. The group gave each other strange looks - usually they'd call for a shop assistant, but being loud just didn't seemed to fit this place. It wasn't until Daisuke sneezed loudly that a man appeared, adding to the rooms odd atmosphere.

Mr Ollivander had often been regarded as strange, so the bizarre looks he was receiving didn't bother him. White wispy hair, old robes and glasses perched on the end of his nose, he had slid from between two aisles behind the counter without notice. "I was beginning to wonder when I would see the rest of you. All your siblings had already been and gone, yet you were not brought to me until now, way past the time you were due to. But no matter, stranger things have happened." Pale eyes swept the nervously shifting teens in front of him, before landing on the magical established two.

"Ah, Miss Motomiya. It has been quite a while since I've seen you. I'm assuming you've graduated?" She nodded and he continued talking in a strong but quiet voice. "Yes, yes, naturally. 15 and a half inches, flexible and made of cherry wood. It would have served you well at  _Mahoutakara_ , correct?"

"Yes sir! It's an amazing wand and still going strong." The old man held out his hand and the girl quickly retrieved her wand for him to inspect. Confused about this talk of dragon heartstring and flexibility, Yamato explained.

"A wand is a wizards or witches most important tool. The wand chooses the wizard, supposedly," Ollivander gave a look to the blonde, quite clearly saying that there was nothing supposed about it. "Cherry wood wands are revered at the Japanese school of  _Mahoutakara_  and are quite rare from what I've heard."

"That they are. Cherry wood wands choose those who are strong, flamboyant and may also have a temperament. When paired with a core of dragon heartstring, the wielder needs a strong mind, which Miss Motomiya certainly has, though I am still not sure of her self-control." Daisuke couldn't help but snorting at this and Jun desperately wanted to hit him, but that would only prove Ollivander's point.

"The wood of a wand will explain both the wand's own personality and may also speak of the owner's personality. There are numerous types of woods, some more rare or powerful than others, but all have their own perks. A wand also has one of three cores: the hair from a unicorn, the heartstring of a dragon or, the most rare, a feather from a phoenix. Additionally, wands have different lengths and flexibility ranges. Larger wands accommodate larger personalities while smaller wands are more suited to elegant and refined spell casting. The flexibility denotes the degree of adaptability, change and willingness possessed. There is no doubt that the wand chooses the wizard based on the skills and traits they posses."

Returning Jun's wand, he held his hand out in Yamato's direction, who already held his wand waiting. "Rowan wood with a phoenix feather core, 9 and three quarter inches and very flexible... You've kept it in superb condition I must say." The blonde replied with a quiet 'thank you' as Sora asked about what his wand said. Ollivander continued, though seemed to be annoyed that he was going to have to explain all these meanings with every new wand he brought out.

"Rowan is a favoured wood and is the most protective wood. Owners have a clear head and pure hearts. However, there is also an old rumour that says that rowan gossips, chestnut drones, ash is stubborn and hazel moans. I have generally not found this true for those of rowan due to how virtuous they are." Yamato shoved Taichi lightly when he laughed about his virtuousness, but was silenced as the odd man kept talking.

"And the feather of a Phoenix... It has the greatest range and has an initiative quality that may be disliked by owners. It's hard to personalise and can be picky and independent, while also being detached." Looking at the blond before him, he said quietly, "You may have a difficult time taming this one. It seems to be in a slight conflict with itself." Nodding, Yamato took his wand back and shuffled to the back of the group.

Looking the youngster's over, the mysterious man sighed. "We might as well get this done in one hit then.." With a click of his fingers, numerous tape measures appeared and began measuring the group, much to Jun and Yamato's amusement. "Your wand arm is the one you write with. Do take note that while some amateur wand makers say that the length of the wand reflects either the height or arm span of the owner, this is not the case and rather follows what I said before." The man trailed off and wandered into the ceiling high aisles behind the counter, picking some boxes at random, scrutinising others more closely and discarding others altogether.

Calling the tape measures off, he returned to the counter. "Who would like to go first?" Silence reigned until Yamato sighed and rolled his eyes. The elder boy shoved his brother to the front. "This is my younger brother, Takeru." Nodding, the master wand maker stared at the younger one who stammered a 'hello'. A wand, white in wood and short in length was handed to the blonde who stared at it dumbly.

Irritated, Ollivander told him to 'give it a wave!' so he complied. However, this left the only couch in the store in flames. The group was shocked into a stunned silence, but Yamato and Jun, both having experienced experimenting with a new wand were laughing heartily. Tsking, the renowned maker of wands found Takeru another wand, and discarded the next nine after that one as well.

In the end, he was chosen by a flexible and handsome wand of cedar, ten and a quarter inches. "Unicorn hair wands are consistent, faithful and have a strong attachment to their first owner. You can never fool the owner of a cedar wand, and they possess an unusual loyalty and strength of character. Like your brother's wand, yours is also a protective wand."

Mimi pushed forward next, eagerly announcing that it was her turn. The first wand she tried conjured a rose and Mr Ollivander seemed happy that she had found a perfect match so soon. "Thirteen and a half inches long and slightly rigid. With a core of dragon heartstring and the wood being of sycamore, it shows that both the owner and the wand need entertaining." Ignoring the pinkette puffing out her cheeks in indignation, he continued. "Wands with this core are the most accident prone and temperamental as well. Sycamore is a highly prized wood and it enjoys a curious owner who is adventurous. It enjoys new experiences and will lose it's brilliance if living a mundane life. As such, if life becomes too boring it will combust, so be careful." Paying for the wand, Mimi backed into the group, eyes still wide. While everyone was checking their wands, Mimi would constantly glance at hers, making sure that it hadn't combusted yet.

Taichi and Daisuke demanded to go next at the exact same time, but Ollivander was more drawn to Miyako and Koushiro who were reading a pin board of articles. "If you please, Miss." It only took Miyako two failures to find her match ("Bingo~! Three times the charm!") in a pliable wand of twelve and three quarter inches. "Wands with dragon heartstrings as the cores are the most powerful but are also the easiest to turn to dark. They are also make for flamboyant wands. This is a strong wand as the core is matched with Dogwood, which is quirky, and enjoys an owner who is fun but serious under certain conditions. They are often noisy wands and refuse to perform non-verbal magic yet the never fail to make dazzling enchantments."

Koushiro was another perfect match and was able to levitate a feather. "Ten and a half inches, also slightly rigid with a core of dragon heartstring. The wood is elm, so this combination will be powerful, for an owner who is sure and advanced. Wands made of elm will have the fewest accidents and least foolish errors. These wands are sophisticated and highly advanced in the right hands."

Daisuke managed to beat his mentor so he was next. Out of all the Chosen, it would take him the longest to find his match, so long in fact that Ollivander was about to tell him to come another day so he could spend the entire day perusing his wands. "A long and flexible wand of fourteen and a half inches. And yet another wand of dragon heartstring. A powerful bunch, it would seem. If you are stubborn and fickle however, this wand could be trouble for you." That caught Daisuke's attention (he had been smirking about having a larger than average wand, to his mentor's annoyance). "The wood from the fir tree is resilient and will be strong so long as the own has strength of purpose. The owner is often focused," (The rest of the Chosen snickered a bit here with Jun laughing almost too loudly), "and is also strong minded and occasionally intimidating. Change and indecision will not aid you Mr Motomiya."

Eyes widening at how the man knew his name, Daisuke paid and let Taichi have his go. The fifth wand tried by the brunette successfully sent a stream of bubbles throughout the room. "Thirteen and a half inches, flexible, also of dragon heartstring. Dragon heartstring wands are also known to learn quicker than other wands, but may change allegiance despite their strong bonds. As the wand is made of aspen, I have to admit, Mr Yagami, I am slightly concerned that the wand may be to strong for you to handle." He ignored Tai's protests and continued on. "A handsome white wood with a fine grain and charm, aspen wands choose owners who are duelists and of strong mind. They are determined, enjoy quests and a revolutionary wizards. Treat this wand carefully."

Hikari introduced herself as Tai's sister and was chosen on her second attempt with a very flexible wand of eleven inches. While sure this was going to be a nice wand, Hikari was impressed with it's lovely golden tone. "Wands with a unicorn hair as their core are also less likely to be subject to fluctuations and blockages. These wands are also the most difficult to turn to dark. Wands made from the wood of pear trees are also not attracted to dark and hold a splendid power. The are best suited with owners who have warm hearts and are also wise, popular and well respected. Additionally, their resilient nature allows them to look brand new despite their age."

Ken and Iori both offered for Sora to go next as she was the last girl. Sora was another of the Chosen who had a perfect match and her wand drowned the room with the fragrance of flowers in full bloom. "Twelve inches and rigid. Another owner of unicorn core, your wand seems to have chosen you for natural ability and faithfulness. It wouldn't be wise to disappoint." Ignoring Mimi's comment of how 'chestnut drones', Sora listened eagerly to the man in front of her. "Chestnut wands are curious and their personalities can change with the core and the individual owner's attitudes. When paired with unicorn hair, owners often possess a manner of justice and in general, owners of chestnut wands are good at taming magical beats, flying and are skilled at herbology."

Iori was next. "It's nice to see someone receiving their wand on time!" Laughing slightly at the wand maker's words, Iori tried various wands until he found his match in a slightly shorter wand of eight and three quarter inches. "Pliable and with the core of the unicorn, this wand chose you for your just attitude and gifts." Mr Ollivander ignored the boys noble protests and explained the properties of beech wood. "If the wand chooses a young owner, they are wise beyond their years. These wands have a lusturous reputation and are subtle and arty. Wands made from beech are weak when paired with narrow minded and intolerant people." Iori bowed respectfully after paying and stood with those who had already been paired with a wand.

Jyou was beckoned forward next and almost tripped trying to get through the mass of people. Twelve wands and Ollivander's mounting exasperation later, Jyou had been chosen by a pliable wand of nine and a half inches. "Cores of unicorn hair aren't the most powerful, and are also prone to melancholy if they are mistreated. If they are mistreated or use too much power, or sometimes with due to age, the hair can need and need replacing. Wands made out of alder are unyielding and the owner is not stubborn or obstinate. Rather, they are helpful, considerate and likable. The wood, unlike most wand woods, is not quite the opposite of it's owner, but the owner and wand aren't the same as each other. Alder wands are good at performing non-verbal magic and are also advanced and loyal. For it to have chosen you, I'm assuming you are of a strong and consistent character?" Jyou attempted to reply, but Ollivander was already shoving the wand into his hand.

Ken passed him as the older boy was putting his change into his pocket. Ollivander looked Ken over carefully before making a low humming noise. Ignoring all the wands still cluttered on the counter, he found another from under the counter. With a wave, it was as though the shop had been drowned in fireworks. "Thirteen inches, very flexible and made of willow. The wood is uncommon and good with healing magic. The owner," He looked at Ken again with an odd look in his eyes, "usually holds an unwarranted insecurity and attempts to hide it." The boy shifted uncomfortably at this, and waited for what seemed like forever for the man to continue.

"As you can see, it's a handsome wand and has a reputation for enabling advanced non-verbal magic and often chooses owners with great potential. An old saying goes along the lines of 'those who have the furtherest to travel, travel fastest with willow'. However, the wand is odd and may be difficult, despite it's strength. It has a phoenix feather as it's core. These cores take the longest to reveal their strengths and they are difficult to personalise. Additionally, as according to a phoenixes nature, owners who have wands with a phoenix feather core often find it difficult to win their allegiance."

The group brought some wand polish and special handbooks and items which detailed how to care for their new wands before thanking Mr Ollivander. After leaving his old store, the Chosen Children reunited with their parents and showed them their wands. While Ollivander may have been a strange man, he was certainly knowledgeable about his craft, and though they didn't like it, themselves as well.

While being chosen by their wands was a nerve-wracking experience, traveling by portkey was an entirely different adventure all together. The adults as well as Jun all landed without a problem and altered between teasing the new witches and wizards that it would get worse or encouraging them by saying they'd get the hang of it eventually. Sorting out their luggage, the group said their goodbyes and went their seperate ways. The Ishidas would be returning to France but they would meet them at Platform 9 3/4 on September First to catch the train for Hogwarts in a weeks time.

As much as he didn't want to be seperated from his brother again, Takeru was too tired to argue. Yamato cheered him up by telling him that his owl would be able to find him, even without an address. This relieved the younger blonde and the group parted ways, with tired emotion. Today had been a long day. They'd learnt a lot about the magical world and themselves. Saying their final goodbyes, the Chosen Children were eagerly waiting for the week to fly by so they could rejoin each other and finally see what Hogwarts was like. Needless to say, Hogwarts was certainly an eagerly awaited adventure!


	3. Preperation

"Daisuke! I told you to get lost!"  
"Tell me more about Hogwarts!"  
"I went to  _Mahoutakara!_  I don't know much about your stupid school!" The older girl stopped. "Yamato knows! I'm gonna go ask him!"

"Don't be stupid! He's in France!" Pulling a face at her brother, Jun waved before apparating out of the hallway with a loud _crack!_  Yelling in frustration, the brunette went to the kitchen and complained to his mother about Jun apparating  _again_  when it was her turn to do the dishes that night. Not content with the "She knows she'll be in trouble if she doesn't return on time" he stomped out, yelling he was going to Takeru's.

It wasn't until he was halfway down the street did Daisuke realise he'd forgotten his wand and grudgingly returned to get the stick, scuffing his shoes all the while. He hadn't actually done any magic yet except for what he'd done in Ollivander's (Jun quite enjoyed being able to levitate the remote out of his hand or bewitching his soccer ball to repeatedly hit him on the head with her poor little brother helpless to do anything). Even if he hadn't performed spells or anything, the piece of wood gave off a comforting feeling; he didn't feel right without it by his side.

Upon arriving at the blonde boy's house, he was let in by his mother who told him to remind everyone magic wasn't allowed. Yeah, yeah - he got enough of that at home. Underage restrictions and blah blah blah. He bet nobody would ever catch him anyway. He tried not to let his annoyance show and entered Takeru's room, vaguely wondering what Mrs Takaishi meant by 'everyone'. Everyone turned out to be, well, everyone.

"Daisuke! Just the man I wanted to see!" Taichi grabbed him by the arm and sat him down roughly, almost making him squash Sora. "See, we were thinking that we still don't know anything about Hogwarts or the magical world, so we thought we'd get together after harassing all your older siblings and pool our knowledge together."  
"Why didn't you contact me then?"  
"Your mobile was off, Daisuke. Your mum said you were out the three times we called your home phone too." Miyako didn't seemed to pleased with him. Scratching the back of his head and laughing nervously, the younger goggle boy thought it best not to tell them his phone had gone through the washing machine; he'd already been lectured once for that, he didn't want to go through it again with a cranky Miyako.  
"My bad!" Ignore the purple haired girl's glare and Ken's exasperated sigh, the boy continued on. "Jun doesn't tell me much about Hogwarts, but I could help with other stuff maybe."  
"Do you think we could call her over? My brother's have all been too busy to tell me anything at all..."  
"Na-huh. She's gone to go stalk Yamato again. Well, I think. She apparated off,  _again_ , so I dunno where she is really." Taichi nodded beside him, agreeing it was probably the most accurate guess for his obsessed sister. Rolling her eyes, Sora told them both Jun had more of a life than following the blonde vocalist around before Miyako butted in.

"My sister had a penpal from Hogwarts once! Apparently, it's the big castle that's protected - nobody knows the exact location. All magical institutions are really secretive about how and where they teach, supposedly. Anyway, there's like, a lake with a giant squid in it and apparently they had lots of stuff happen  _yeeeeears_  ago when there was this certain kid there."  
"A trouble maker?"  
"I dunno. She didn't get much info on him. But anyway, Hogwarts has a massive forest around it too that's supposed to be filled with giant spiders, werewolves and even unicorns!"  
"Unicorns? I want to see one! I bet they're so pretty!" Mimi was sitting cross legged and had been polishing her wand - she was still taking the threat of her wand combusting incredibly seriously.  
"There's also this place called Hogsmaede-"  
"Didn't someone mention that when we were getting our school supplies?"  
Miyako continued as though no one had spoken. "-which students can go on days off as field trips. It's supposed to be the only all magical settlement or something."  
"Yeah! Okaa-san was saying theres lots of stores there and a really famous place called 'The Shrieking Shack'."  
"That sounds creepy, Takeru."  
Ignoring Daisuke's "I'll look after you, Hikari-chan!", Koushirou said that was probably the point. He continued by saying that like a lot of supposedly scary things, the bark was often worse than the bite so there was probably nothing to be afraid of at all.

By the end of the day, however, they hadn't gotten much further than that. Mimi's wand had ended up sending off sparks when she had rubbed it too vigirously. Those sparks had then set Takeru's bed on fire. When they had tried to throw water on it, they succeeded not only in extinguishing the fire, but also in setting off the wet start fireworks the blonde had kept stashed under his bed. His mother had come in to yell at them all before making them clean up the mess. By that time, it was time to go. It was also the last time they would get to see each other before they met at Kings Cross Station on September First in a week's time (Miyako had, however, also found out that the old rug in the spare room was a magic carpet, but they were generally only used in Asia and would be far too slow to get them all to Hogwarts and would also be way too conspicuous).

:.:

"Mimi, dinner time!"  
"Just a second, I'm packing!"  
"This early? You've still got days left sweety. Won't your clothes get wrinkled?"  
"Maybe, but I need to make sure I have everything."  
"I thought we finished packing though?"  
"All the boring stuff!"

Cauldron, robes, icky potions stuff, books, telescope, books, hat and gloves, books, cat bed, quills and parchment... Once all that and more school stuff was rearranged to her satisfaction, Mimi went and joined her family for dinner. She'd work on getting the rest of her stuff into both her trunks when she finished. She certainly couldn't leave all her clothes at home for a whole year! Hopefully Hogsmaede would have some haute couture stores for her to be able to stay fashionable at Hogwarts...

:.:

At the Motomiya and Yagami households, two goggle boys were being reminded to pack and pack properly. Their answers were the same.

"I've still got plenty of time! I'll get it done!"

Jun rolled her eyes and went to go do something productive while in Hikari's house, she was content to watch television, trunk completely packed and she had already double checked that she hadn't forgotten anything.

Sometimes you couldn't help brothers; no matter how much you told them to do something, they had there own plans.

:.:

"Jou! You should probably start packing now, there's only three days left now."  
"But I haven't finished studying yet!" The poor boy was freaking out (as usual) and was pulling at his hair even though that was only making his headache worse.  
"Don't stress, you'll be fine~" With a smile his mother shut the door and left him to his misery again.

:.:

"HEY! That's mine!"  
"It's a quill, Miya. You have plenty and I just need to borrow it for a minute!"  
"It was already packed! You've ruined my layout of my trunk!"  
"It was a mess anyway!"  
"Was not!"  
"Was too!"  
"Was NOT!"  
"Was TOO!"  
"Give it back!"  
"No!"  
"Yes!"  
"MAKE me!"  
"FINE!" And with a supberb tackle and surprised yell from her sister, Miyako managed to retrieve the quill. At the same time she managed to knock the ink well her older sister had been using over. The ink spilled all over her stuff and her father yelled at her for being so careless. She was forced to clean everything by hand and had to repack everything again. Siblings could be so annoying!

:.:

"All done packing?"  
"Yes grandfather."  
"Good! No need to worry about you then!" (Of course Iori's mother was doing just the opposite) "Just make sure your friends don't get into too much trouble either!"

:.:

"Ken-chan, do you want me to help you pack? I can teach you some useful spells as we go..?"  
"Thanks, okaa-san!" With two days to go, Mrs Ichijouji's packing wasn't exactly the fastest and her socks didn't fold up as neatly as they did when she did it by hand, Ken knew it made her feel better about him going away, so he put up with her wayward house magic with a smile on his face. He'd left once without thinking of his parents - he wouldn't do it again.

:.:

"Oh hey Koushirou, what are you doing here?"  
"It's okaa-san's birthday, so I wanted to get her flowers before I go. How's the packing?"  
"All done~! Apparently Mimi's trying to bully her parents into letting her take more than two trunks!"  
"Are you sure you heard right? How is she supposed to carry all that? She still has the cat..."  
Laughing, the redhead took the boys change and gave him the neatly wrapped flowers. "What do you think we're here for?"  
Laughing along with her, Koushirou thanked Sora and left, glad he didn't have to deal with his own packing anymore.

:.:

"Yamato! I thought I told you to pack already!"  
"Yeah, yeah... Just lemme finish watching this..."  
"YAMATO!" Sitting upright immediately, the blonde turned to face his grandmother.  
"I'll get on it right away!"  
"Honestly Hiroaki, you're far too soft with him! What on earth would Natsuko say?"  
Putting his head down, he mumbled that she would be yelling just like her mother. Unfortunately for him, he'd said that too loudly and his ex-wife's mother started grilling him once more.

:.:

"Takeru, are you finished yet?"  
"Almost!"  
"You only have one day left, you know. You shouldn't have left this to the last minute!"  
"Haaaaaai~"  
"Don't 'haaaaaai~' me mister! I'll help to get this done faster."

While he enjoyed his mother's help, he didn't enjoy trying to sneak in the fireworks under her nose. To be honest, he didn't think he'd snuck them in at all - rather, she'd seen what he'd done all to well and was just waiting for them to cause another mishap so she could say 'mother knows best'. Well, he just couldn't let that happen, could he~?

:.:

"TAICHI/DAISUKE! WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T PACKED YET? THE TRAIN LEAVES TOMORROW MORNING! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS PAST WEEK?"

With the same response, both goggle boys immediately ran to their rooms being laughed at by their sisters and started packing like no tomorrow with mother's breathing fire at them all the while. What could they say? Even if they weren't playing, soccer (even if it was televised) was always much more interesting than chores!

After voicing that thought, their mothers seemed to become more infuriated and had taken to throwing things in their son's trunks, hitting the boys (purposefully?) a few times.

Hikari and Jun sighed; brothers, what could you do with them?


	4. Sorted

With a rush and a strange sensation as though something was pulling them, the Motomiya family arrived at Kings Cross Station. Jun had come along, wanting to know more about Hogwarts and embarrass/annoy her brother more before he left, much to the boy's displeasure. It wasn't long after they arrived that the others started showing up. Taichi and Hikari came first, followed by Miyako and Ken and Iori who had flooed to The Leaky Cauldron and caught a taxi from there. Takeru came after Jyou while Sora beat Koushiro and Mimi (who had been reduced to one trunk, though it was still quite large). Yamato was the last to arrive, with his father and an elderly witch following behind him.

"Obaa-san! It's been ages!" Takeru had run to his grandmother immediately and Yamato used the opportunity to sneak closer to the group. Mrs Ichijouji started ushering them towards their platform, but made them split into groups due to the attention they were getting. When they reached the area between platforms 9 and 10, Natsuko told them to follow her through the barrier. She acted as though she was searching through her handbag as she walked straight through the divider between the platform. Hushing the now incredibly stunned group, Hiroaki told Yamato to go first.

"What?"

"Honestly, you'll be fine. Just take it at a run if you're nervous!" Yamato still wasn't entirely convinced so Jun thought she'd be nice and offer to go with him. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the blonde vocalist took a deep breath and ran in the direction his mother had disappeared. When there was no crash or claims from the muggles that a boy had just melted into a brick wall, the rest of the group followed. Due to the size of the group and the strange assortment of items and pets they had with them, as well as the obvious fact they were all foreign, it was difficult to be inconspicuous, but their attempts seemed to have been successful.

The older siblings all went as a large group, passing off easily as chattering sightseers. Mimi and her mother were next, while her father followed with the Takenouchi family. Taichi and Hikari went together, their parents falling behind and Takeru and Hiroaki went next. Koushirou and his family had to wait for a large group of tourists to move before running at the divider and the Ichijoujis snuck in behind them. Iori's grandfather led the way for the remaining few. Once they were all on the other side, their appreciation for the magical world was revealed again.

Platform 9 and 3/4 was magnificent. Sure, it was just another platform, but it was hidden and for a place of that size to be made invisible so easily was amazing! The Hogwarts Express was also impressive, with steam being produced and it's scarlet colour gleaming brightly. The sheer amount of other witches and wizards here was also a shock. The noise being made by students catching up and cantankerous cats and playful owls was almost deafening.

"Let's get you all settled, shall we?" With that, the group (minus their siblings and the majority of adults) followed Koushirou's mother onto the train, struggling to keep up with each other due to the amount of students already on the train. Thankfully they managed to find an empty carriage. It was incredibly squashy with twelve people, their pets and their luggage in a tiny cabin, but the Chosen steadfastly refused to be seperated. Leaving their belongings, they returned to their families to talk. Yamato vanished for a bit, in order to find out about his prefect duties but returned soon enough. As the time grew closer to when they would be departing, the group became more emotional. The Tachikawa girls were bawling and Yamato was promising he would look after Takeru, while Hikari was promising the same thing for her brother. Jun was teasing Daisuke while he was telling her he'd send her a poisonous bug as a souvenir. Ken's parents were tearfully telling him goodbye and he wasn't in a much better state. Sora was hugging her mother silently while Iori's mother was fretting over her little boy. Koushirou was quite excited and his parents seemed to share his feelings while Jyou's brother was telling him to quit freaking out. Miyako was telling her family she'd send photos and write every week when the final whistle for the train sounded.

Squeezing and shoving to get on the train, the Chosen pushed themselves to get a window so they could wave goodbye. Jun ran to the end of the platform telling Yamato she'd write, much to his embarrassment. Once the platform was out of sight, the group returned to their carriage, with Yamato going to the front of the train to learn about his duties. Sometime around lunch, an elderly lady came around with a trolly full of food. Needless to say, this was a welcome break from staring at the scenary and playing exploding snap. Pumpkin pasties, cauldron cakes, licorice wands and Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and more were placed into a heap and it felt somewhat like a picnic with good friends and amazing food.

The sky had darkened when Yamato returned. He instructed them to change into their robes as they'd be arriving soon. It wasn't an easy task so the group had to split into four smaller groups in order to be able to change without hitting someone in the face or tripping over the hem of someone's robes. For the next half hour, Yamato babbled a little bit about nothing and everything.

"As a prefect, I basically just act responsible and can dob on people. I think I can recommend detentions and reduction of points, but I dunno really. I'm more interested in being Quidditch Captain. We're totally gonna win this year!"  
"Who's we?"  
"Hufflepuff! My house." At the confused looks of his friends, the vocalist continued after sighing at how much they didn't know. "There are four houses at Hogwarts. Gryffindor is for those who are brave at heart and daring as well as those who had nerve and chivalry; Ravenclaw for those of wit, knowledge and intelligence; Slytherin is for those ambituous few who were cunning and resourceful. Lastly but definitely not least, Hufflepuff caters to those who are hard working, loyal, patient and fair."

"How do you know what house you are?"  
"Can you choose?"  
"What's the coolest?"  
"I'm gonna be a Gryffindor!"

Waiting for them all to be silent, Yamato continued his explanation. "Nah, there's this hat and it sorts you." ("How stylish!") "It's not like that Mimi. The hats a million years old. It belonged to one of the founder's. It looks into your head I think, and places you where it thinks you fit best."  
Miyako then started flipping. "My phone isn't working! How am I supposed to take a photo of this?"

"Technology doesn't work out here."  
"WHAT?"

"...None of you read,  _Hogwarts: A History_  like I said to, did you..?" Again, forced to wait for their silence, Yamato explained that magic interfered with muggle technology but explained owls were fast and reliable and special cameras could be purchased pretty cheaply. Koushirou and Miyako were still grumbling about the lack of modern technology when the train stopped. Yamato ditched them, saying he had to go perform his duties. When they finally exited the train, they were taken over to where the first year students were waiting. Jyou recognised the massive man from The Leaky Cauldron and he introduced himself as Hagrid, Care of Magical Creatures Professor and Care Taker of the Grounds. Following him, the group entered small boats that glided across a jet black lake. That's when they saw Hogwarts.

A massive castle, looming over it's surroundings, imposing and homely at the same time. The lights from the castle windows reflected off the lack and created a magnificent backdrop against the night sky. The boats they'd been ushered into steered themselves under the castle where all the new students tumbled out of the vessels and walked up a stone staircase. A tiny old wizard greeted them and directed them into the castle. They entered the Great Hall after him and were surprised by its vastness and the seemingly open roof. Once the hall was quite, a stool with a dirty and frayed hat was placed in front of the nervously shifting students.

With a sound like a rip, the hat opened it's 'mouth' and started 'singing'. It's song spoke of friendship, courage and togetherness. It continued by saying that you needed to stand strong and to be cautious and wary of upcoming dangers. Needless to say, the Chosen weren't the only ones stunned at this declaration. The tiny wizard (they later found out he was called Flitwick) returned and started calling out their names, in alphabetical order. The Chosen were being sorted with the new Hogwarts students, in order to try and make them fit in. Iori, being eleven and small, fitted right in with the other first years, but gangly Jyou and lanky Sora didn't really fit the mold that well, so to speak.

Iori was the first of the foreign students to be sorted. The hat easily dwarfed his head and yelled (quite frighteningly to be honest) that he belonged in Hufflepuff. The yellow and black house yelled and clapped the loudest and Yamato stood up to greet the younger boy. Some first years were then sorted before it was Ken's turn. The hat pondered on him for a while, and those close to the front could see Ken's lips mumbling something. Eventually, he was sorted into Slytherin. Yamato's eyes widened a little, but he clapped along with the rest of the hall anyway. Miyako was directly afterwards and she bounced up to the stool, jammed on the hat and almost immediately was sent off to the Ravenclaw table.

Yamato would have been the next Chosen to be sorted, but since he was already an established student, Koushiro's turn was next. After it was declared that he belonged in the blue and bronze house, Jyou was sent to join Yamato and Iori in the house of yellow and black. Daisuke had slammed the sorting hat on his head much like Miyako. However, there was no need for that as the hat had barely touched his hair when it roared Gryffindor and those in gold and crimson roared their approval. Mimi was then welcomed into the house of green and silver and the surprise was much more prominent on Yamato's face this time. Takeru ended up following Daisuke while Sora ended up in Slytherin as well. By this stage, only Taichi and Hikari remained and there weren't many first years left either. Hikari was shaking as she approached the old frayed hat. It looked innocent enough, but it could speak, so it was a slightly daunting experience.

She sat and placed the hat delicately on her head but it fell lopsided. She jumped as the hat spoke in her ear. The sorting hat's voice seemed to vibrate around, both outside and inside one's head, but until it announces a house, only the wearer can hear it, though others can see its so called mouth moving.

"You've got a decent head, and you have great goals for your life. You want to prove yourself and have proven your bravery and courage numerous times. But..."  
"But...?"  
"You don't suit that." Hikari seemed to start freaking out at that point. She also seemed to be about to burst into tears before the hat continued. This time, the whole hall heard it's shout. "You belong in Hufflepuff!"

Smiling, the young girl jammed that hat back on the stool and ran over to join Iori, Jyou and Yamato. Sitting down with congratulations from her new house and a "Of course you'd be a Hufflepuff, Hikari-chan" from Yamato, the hat was announcing that Tai obviously belonged in Gryffindor.  
The last few first years were sorted and the hat and stool removed by a cranky looking man, covered with a few scars and followed by a cat. Professor McGonagall stood and the hall fell silent from it's chatter and smiles. The Headmistress' speech was short.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Remember, the school year is for study and that is what you shall do. Take care of yourself and your house in your effort to win the House Cup by the end of the year." Yamato sat a little straighter here.  
"Additionally, respect your Prefects and Head Boy and Girl and ask both them and your Professors and Heads of Houses for help when needed. Our Caretaker, Mr Filch, has a list of banned items out front of his office. Acquaint yourself with it to prevent strict punishment!" The determination in the blonde's eyes turned into mischief and a cocky grin appeared as he glanced at a girl a few seats down to Hikari's left. She returned the gesture with a smile and stiffled giggle. McGonagall didn't seem to notice or care that a few other students were doing the same.

"Also, students, especially those who are old enough to know better," Oddly enough, she glanced at Yamato, who was sitting on the brunette girl's right when she said this and fixed him with a glare, "should well know that the Forbidden Forest is named for that reason. There are other places, such as the Greenhouses and the Black Lake, that you should not venture into unless you have express permission!" Here she relaxed a little. "Now that that is out of the way, I hope you all do your absolute best this year. But for now, I know you are tired and hungry, so let the feast begin!"

At once, the golden dinnerware was filled with steaming food. Roast chicken, vegetables, pork, sausages, as well as salad, coleslaw and numerous cold pasta dishes were among the intense variety. Yamato explained who a few of the Professors were and what they taught, and pointed out a plump smiling lady who was Hufflepuff's Head of House. To the amusement of the Chosen, the blonde also was bragging about being a prefect, despite his earlier attitude. (Hikari couldn't contain her giggles when he had puffed out his chest a bit to show the silver P on a background of Hufflepuff's colours.)

When the student's felt as though they would never be able to eat again, the feast disappeared. The main meals were then replaced with various kinds of desserts and sweets in various flavours and appearences. Suddenly ravenous again, the hall was once more filled with the sound of eating and hearty laughter.

Ken, Mimi and Sora had banded together at the Slytherin table. Ken was talking to a blonde haired boy and Mimi had struck up a conversation with a pretty red-head who looked to be around Hikari's age. Sora wasn't talking to anyone however, and just pushed her food aimlessly around. Miyako and Koushiro were sitting on opposite sides of the table in a sea of blue and bronze and were both in animated conversation that lots of people were keenly listening to. Iori was listening to two girls explanation of a funny game called Quidditch. They both would glance at Yamato whenever they praised the game and he'd respond kindly. Jyou seemed fumbled and exasperated as he attempted to explain Muggle medicine to a boy with freckles and a girl with big round and Daisuke were happily chatting and eating (at the same time despite Hikari's signals to quit embarrassing her) and Takeru was also in on their large conversation. He kept taking glances towards his brother, who was much more interested in debating the skills of something called 'Krum'.

Professor McGonagall dismissed the hall and the last of the dessert disappeared. Some of the younger students make a grab at some cupcakes, but they were too slow - a lot of the older students shared the snacks they'd swiped however. Yamato had stood up as soon as we were dismissed. He called out over the chatter that had increased immeasurably as soon as the students had been dismissed.

"First years! C'mon first years, follow me! Keep together and keep up! Oi, you there! Get over here!" He motioned at his Chosen friends in Hufflepuff to follow along as well and lead our rag-tag group out the hall. The Gryffindor lot were already half-way gone up the stairs and the Ravenclaw's had already disappeared. The Hufflepuff Chosen waved at Ken before he disappeared into what looked like dungeons... ("It's a bit creepy, don't you think?" Iori nodded along with Hikari) Sora or Mimi couldn't be seen (but high pitched laughter could be heard) so they continued following the mop of blonde hair ahead. The Hufflepuffs also went into the dungeons (in the opposite direction of the Slytherins), but they were well lit with warm torches. After a few turns they ended up in front of an old rock wall. It had a large badger carved into it with a statue in front of it - it kind of made the carving look like an imposing shadow, or perhaps a mother and baby.

Yamato turned around. "Welcome! This is the Hufflepuff Common Room! You'll need to know the password to gain entry, so don't forget it! Well, unless you enjoy sitting in cold hallways looking like an idiot, but whatever floats your boat, I guess. All your luggage has already been taken up to your rooms. Boys, take the first hall to the left; girls, the same but to the right." He gave more specific instructions to the Chosen few.

He must of picked up on the groups nervousness, for he gave that cocky grin again and continued. "We're a pretty easy going bunch in Hufflepuff. Do your best and be yourself and we'll all get along just fine. Now, the password is," He turned to the statue and said in a clear loud voice, "Fizzing Whizzbees."

The badger statue seemed to blink (but it couldn't have, right?) and slowly moved to the right. The brick wall seemed to vanish (this was accompanied by numerous gasps) and Yamato led the way in. The Common Room was nice enough. Black couches and various items in wide ranges of yellow decorated the low roofed room. Numerous hallways were on either side of the rectangular room, which was warmed with friendly looking fires. Yamato told everyone to go to bed, as classes would begin immediately tomorrow and an early night sleep would mean you were less likely to get detention. With that, he disappeared to his own dorm, having done and dusted everything. Everything was sorted.


	5. Knowledge

"I seriously can't believe you got detention on your first day!"  
"Shut  _up_ , Yamato! It's not my fault that witch doesn't understand that soccer is the  _best game ever_!"  
"Quidditch  _is_  our sport and she  _is_  the Quidditch referee as well as the flying teaching, so you really should of thought of that one earlier..."

Ignoring his friend's annoyed  _bah!_ , the two continued towards the Great Hall. While they were on the train yesterday, Yamato had told them to all get some food at lunch and they'd go outside to have a picnic. Mimi and Miyako had said it'd should be a weekly thing but the blonde had shot down that idea - anyone doing Potions or Transfiguration (and he listed basically every other subject Hogwarts taught) would be drowning in homework by the end of the first week. Koushirou said otherwise but Yamato said he was talking about people with average intelligence, to which everyone had a giggle.

After grabbing some food and stuffing more in their pockets (Taichi's mouth was already full with what looked like chicken), the duo made their way back outside, walking over to where their group was already sitting.

"What took you guys so long? We're starving!"  
"Taichi got detention."  
"Shut up!"  
"TAI!"

Taichi immediately tried to bribe his sister to not tell their parents and Daisuke defended his claim of soccer being the best. Yamato instantly took offence to that, starting a semi-playful arguement. Ken brought them out of it by asking what the Whomping Willow was.

"The Whomping Willow?"  
"The Herbology professor told us not to go near it."  
"See that massive tree over there?" The prefect pointed to an innocent looking tree, swaying slightly in the warm breeze. Everyone turned to look and he continued. "The Whomping Willow is nice enough from a distance. It's not much different to an ordinary willow really. Except it bites."

"Bites? That's stupid."  
"Quit messing with us dude!"  
"Okay, okay, it doesn't bite, but it does hit."  
"Really onii-chan-"  
"Oi! Who's the only prior student and the only one who's read  _Hogwarts-_ "  
" _A History_. Yeah, yeah. Just marry the stupid book already!"

Yamato and Taichi started scuffling (Sora shoving them away from the food) when Miyako yelled. She was pointing to the tree and jumping up and down, repeating "Look!" over and over.

So they did.

Standing for a better look, Yamato groaned as he saw some idiots run around the base of the tree. "I wish they wouldn't piss it off like that."

"It's a tree, onii-chan."  
"An  _angry_  tree."  
"Trees can't be angry."

Miyako interrupted again, but there was really no need to. The whole group had watched the tree bend in the opposite direction of the students before flinging itself in their direction. The thick branches swung heavily and landed with a heavy thump. The group gasped as Yamato gave a cocky "Told ya" before running down the hill.

The Whomping Willow groaned as it righted itself and prepared for another attack. The Hufflepuff prefect was racing down the hill (much as a not particularly athletic flier could), yelling various curses, threats and profanities at the moronic students he was trying to save (though he figured if they were that stupid to take on a tree that was more than happy to hit back, they didn't deserve it).

By now, there was a small audience and someone in the crowd was taking bets. Would the tree win out over the students and Yamato? Would he beat the tree and the students? Most of the money was on the tree and the rumours about it were spreading like wild fire ("I hear it took out someone's eye"; "A  _werewolf_  lives in there!"; "The Bloody Baron got the tree to kill someone for him - he told me himself!"). As the fight rose to it's climax (and bets were rising higher and stories taller), Yamato raised his wand.

Unfortunately, McGonagall's spell was cast first and he was rendered completely useless.

He was awarded a large sum of house points for his bravery and lack of regard for his own safety, but some of those were taken due to a few of the offending students being Hufflepuffs (the glare he sent them wasn't very friendly, to say the least). The tree was quieted somewhat with another spell, though it was still shaking it's trunks in a rather threatening way. Needless to say, the students all received two month's worth of detention as well as point deductions.

When the bell signalling the end of lunch rang, everyone shuffled inside, the excitement over and boredom beginnging again. Yamato was more cheerful than some of his classmates however. His acts had placed Hufflepuff in first place for the House Cup (someone reminded him it was the only the first day but he waved them off, cocky smirk in place and bragging loudly).

It was a week later when Miyako told them Hufflepuff had been in fourth place for winning the House Cup for more than one hundred years (they had been shuffled back to third when she had done her research). Though Yamato had been supposedly studying at the time she'd announced it, he'd stopped bragging and hadn't mentioned the Whomping Willow incident again.

:.:

Classes, much like Yamato had predicted, had kept everyone almost completely confined to the library, heads deep in books and hands almost glued to quills. Despite the bad start he'd had with Madam Hooch, Taichi had decided that Flying Lessons were his favourite (it wasn't a proper class, so she'd actually stop teaching them in a month when she was more confident they wouldn't keep flying into walls).

Herbology wasn't too bad either - Professor Sprout was a cheerful and reasonable teacher. Her homework was never overwhelmingly difficult or lengthy, compared to Transfiguration which Taichi knew he had no apt for whatsoever. McGonagall was strict and he and Daisuke were of the opinion she had to be part dragon with the way she glared. Classes were crazily difficult and the homework was much the same - since he never could finish the set class work, his homework pile for that subject never seemed to decrease either...

Mimi enjoyed Herbology if only for the fact it made her feel closer to Palmon. However, she also enjoyed Charms and found almost hourly uses for the things she'd learnt (despite everyone knowing better, the pinkette constantly denied that she'd hired extra charms books from the library). Miyako had ditched Divination as soon as she could - she shared the opinion Trelawney was a fraud and had transferred to Care of Magical Creatures instead. The half-giant Hagrid had quickly become their friend after Miyako had been the first to inspect his creatures that the rest of the class had refused to go anywhere near them (perhaps wisely as Miyako had come back with singed eyebrows that afternoon).

Defence Against the Dark Arts was a success with everyone. Their teacher was quite nice and calm - a rather neutral force. Many students had been nervous as it was common knowledge that there had been a curse on the job for years (the new teacher had cheerily informed them that the curse had been broken with the Dark Lord's downfall before launching into a complicated explanation on various water-dwelling nasties). However, the class left them feeling slightly bittersweet - they were the Chosen Children after all. Didn't these people know they had saved the world, more than once at that?

Yamato reiterated the fact they weren't supposed to mention that or their Digimon. After already having received the lecture as a group from their parents, then singularly by their parents, and then again by McGonagall, they'd all merely mumbled a grudging acknowledgement of the blonde's statement. Despite the fact they couldn't talk about those days in the Digital World, it didn't stop the memories from constantly playing and re-playing when they were in that class. Really, after everything they'd been through, why would a puddle-dwelling creature scare them? But nonetheless, they'd keep their secret - nobody else would ever be able to understand those bonds anyway, so why not make it a special and precious secret?

Their teacher for Potions, a rounded man by the name of Slughorn, was also well liked. He wasn't as popular with the female student population due to his habit of giving out prizes at the end of lessons - Sora had looked like she was able to be sick when she had picked up her still twitching mouse tail. The class itself wasn't easy, but so long as you paid enough attention and respect to your work space and that of others, you could usually get away with making something passable (double points if you didn't blow something up or melt it!).

Koushirou was taking something called Ancient Runes and he was enjoying it immensely. He said it reminded him of when he received his crest but magical runes were just as interesting as Digital ones, though they were much easier. Sora had chosen Muggle Studies as a subject but had found it boring and left it soon after - surprisingly she had chosen Divination and had remained with it, purely due to the fact they used flowers to divine futures later on.

But no matter the subject or the teacher or even the grade the student was in, the amount of homework seemed to pile up regardless. And so, they became study buddies and met new people trying to cram and speed-write the same assignments as they were. As Taichi summed up nicely, "Goodbye summer and hello nerd-fest!"

:.:

They'd been at Hogwarts for one month before things had gotten hectic. Ken had come down with some type of illness that Madam Pomfrey cured. The second he left the Hospital Wing, it came right back though - even a team from Saint Mungos couldn't figure it out, so the bluenette was bedridden and in quarantine until further notice. Rumours that it was a curse were only strengthened when Sora fell off her broom.

"Remember Harry Potter? Apparently he was thrown off his broom due to a curse once!"  
"It was his first match too, right?"  
"Quirrel was behind it!"

To the foreign students, none of this made sense and to be truthful, they couldn't give a hoot about this Potter kid one way or the other. Thankfully, Sora hadn't been hurt badly but she couldn't remember the accident either. Unfortunately, this gave them no clue as to whether it was a curse or simply bad luck (Daisuke purely refused to believe in such 'wishy-washy' nonsense - that was for Trelawney to fawn over).

Things had to keep going however. Classes and homework wouldn't stop simply because your friends were 'supremely unlucky' as Professor Trewlawney had said before making them try and divine the futures of the other Chosen Children. One flirtatious student had said she didn't need a crystal ball to see that a love potion was coming Yamato's way (another replied that he didn't need a crystal ball to know that Hufflepuff would place last again either). That had been possibly the only time people could remember seeing the old psychic furious (Sora really didn't understand why - everyone took her subject as a joke or a class to lounge around in, so she really should be used to jokes by now; the fact she looked like an old bug eyed bat didn't help her cause much either).

Koushirou and Miyako spent as much time as they could making sure Ken and Sora were as up-to-date as possible with their school work. Yamato was busy with prefect duties and organising Quidditch trials so the group had been reduced greatly. Of course, when there are less people in a group, it's easier to find the weakest links. Daisuke and Takeru both ended up in detention after being taunted and defending Hikari (who, after verbally knocking down a seventh year more than a few notches, obviously didn't need help). Hikari managed to weasel herself out of trouble but the teachers were now keeping a much closer eye on them.

It wasn't that they were foreign that was the problem (though some students disagreed). It was simply because they had a different set of values and had been through so much together that their bonds were completely different to those of normal friends. Their traits dominated their actions and the fact the Chosen knew that they had been through so much worse than a few petty bullies and detention and so they were less than caring about the risks associated with being confident.

However, whenever one of their group would mention the things they had achieved as Chosen Children, a sense of melancholy would fall over them. This was unsurprising: the last time they had seen their digital partners was at the end of what they called their 'second season', lead by the younger generation. However, this was different to daily life. At home, they could talk freely to each other and their parents understood everything they'd been through. At Hogwarts, they were forced to keep their adventures and friendships a secret. While at home, people had believed they'd skipped class because they were sick or had 'family emergencies' - at Hogwarts, people had thought it was weird they supposedly studied for that long every weekend, or were always on soccer camps. Lying was easier than saying they were defeating evil empires in an alternate world, but it made them seem strangely unsocial and disconnected from the 'real' world.

Plus, at home, they had the ability to go to the Digital World, or at the very least, communicate to their partners through their computers. Hogwarts and its lack of technology allowed for no such thing. It was something akin to losing a part of yourself (perhaps misplacing was a better description? After all their Digimon were not completely lost forever, only for however this Hogwarts adventure lasted). That didn't ease their unease at being unable to contact their partners. What if something happened in either world? They'd have no idea until it was too late...

Since those thoughts would often surface, it wasn't long before they ceased speaking of the Digital World. Of course, the other world was still thought of daily and Miyako complained of not being able to access technology in a more emotional way than Koushirou's scientific way (not to say he cared any less - he was just more practical about the situation and knew complaining wouldn't change Hogwarts' tradition and protective charms). Thus, they simply dealt with things as they came, despite how strange it felt to do things as only half a team, rather than a duo.

McGonagall, happy to see them standing up for themselves (less so for those in her own house as they were the ones who seemed to be losing the most points), was a special case. It was late on a Friday night after Yamato had finished sorting out trial dates with Professor Sprout that they were all called to her office. A still sickly (now ruled to be not contagious) Ken and Sora (now healed) had also been summoned into the elaborate room which was a strange mix of stern professionalism and a homely lounge due to all the snoozing portraits and the roaring fire (they'd helped themselves to the cookies she offered without hesitation, of course - no need to be rude despite their nervousness, right?).

Once they were settled, McGonagall started to speak. "At the moment, this is only a precautionary measure and hopefully nothing will come of it. We, being the other staff and myself, would have preferred not to let you know of this, but we do need those things of yours and I have a feeling your friends wouldn't co-operate in keeping quite." Thoroughly confused as to what their 'things' were and just who these friends were, the students had no time to ask as the old witch continued on.

" _No_ , I won't say why until absolutely necessary so don't even ask Ishida. You get in enough mischief as it is without any encouragement." The blonde in question grinned sheepishly but didn't deny his the fact he was going to ask (or more likely, snoop around and pry for answers later). Takeru had to wonder what his brother had been up to for him to have, for lack of a better word, such a reputation.

"Now, I believe I asked you to bring those strange devices of yours here today, correct?"

"You mean our digivices?" At her nod, the group of Chosen all pulled the devices out from their pockets, laying them flat in their outstretched hands as was instructed of them. They were the Chosen Children - their digivices were carried everywhere with them. However, after the realisation that muggle technology didn't work around Hogwarts, using them as a communication method had ceased and it simply became something they carried out of habit (perhaps tinged with a slight hope and longing).

McGonagall demanded they stay still and silent while she performed what appeared to be wandless magic. She was murmuring quietly, concentrating heavily so it was impossible to hear the words she was chanting. In what felt like an age, the room seemed to fizz before being blasted by a strange, almost contradicting light. It was blue in colour, and felt both warm and cold and suffocating yet spacious at the same time.

"Hikari!" The brunette was knocked over by Tailmon and similar scenarios were occurring around the room. Ken was glad that Wormmon was too small and respectful to do him any serious damage. This was in comparison to Agumon who had knocked Taichi over and made him hit his head on a blood red armchair.  
"Professor, I know you can't say why our Digimon were summoned, but what are we supposed to do with them? Can they stay in the dormitories with us? What about classes and food? What do we say to the other students?"

McGonagall sighed and sat down behind her desk, seeming much older and frailer than her normal strong and defiant self. Koushirou poured her some of the drink that was in the pot beside her and they waited for her to regain some energy before she spoke. Pushing her glasses back to their rightful position, she began.

"To be honest, none of the teaching staff had thought that spell would work. Our discussion on if we were successful wasn't particularly detailed. I believe that staying in the dormitories would be the best option - it is certainly the most safest. If your Digimon don't have any special requirements, they will be not be treated differently at all. However, if they do not behave in class, all of you will pay  _severe consequences_. Do I make myself understood?"

"Yes Professor."  
"Then off you go."  
"I wish she hadn't spoken to us like we were pets."  
"I'm sure she's just exhausted."  
"Do you think you can help me with my classes?"  
"Palmon, you'd be great at Herbology right?"  
"When can we eat?"

"Alright, alright, alright! C'mon guys, it's late. We'll head to bed now and meet tomorrow morning at the Great Hall and talk more then. If we're up early enough," Jyou glared at Taichi and Daisuke here, "we could go out and talk more by the lake, rather than frightening everyone with a bunch of monsters."

Daisuke started to say that the magical world had its fair share of monsters, but Yamato spoke over the top of him. "That sounds great. By the way, any Hufflepuffs who want to try out for Quidditch, the schedule will be up tomorrow." Walking away with an over-the-shoulder wave, Yamato said his goodnights, Gabumon following suit.

"Do you think our Quidditch trials will be starting soon too?"  
"I dunno - I heard nii-chan is taking this really seriously and is apparently ahead of everyone else."

Stretching, Sora added that after her accident, she wasn't particularly keen on Quidditch anymore but might give it a go still. "But that's a worry for another day, right? Night guys!"

Ken was the only student in the hospital wing when he returned. Wormmon had fallen asleep almost instantly after telling him how glad he was for them to be together again. He supposed it must have been quite a shock for the Digimon to be suddenly pulled from their home into a strange land. What a rush of emotions to then be reunited with their partners!

The bluenette's smile soon faded after another coughing bout. Why on earth had the Digimon been summoned? Was it that easy to access their world? Why had McGonagall said it was safer that they stick together? Did they really have the time  _not_  to speak about their uncertainties and problems now? The fact that he didn't know what was coming for them left a sick feeling in the depths of his stomach which seemed to chase away any sleep or comfort from Wormmon he may have felt.

Just what was going on?

**Author's Note:**

> Also, a hyakuen shop is a 100 yen shop - they have awesome stuff and most of the stuff actually only does cost 100 yen!  
> Pottermore info was obviously about Mahoutakara while info on Japan's Quidditch team came from 'Quidditch Through The Ages'.


End file.
